The 2nd Global Forum on Business Incubation entitled "Empowering Economies through ICT-enabled Innovation and Entrepreneurship" was held in Hyderabad from 6-10th November 2006. The Forum was jointly organized by InfoDev, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India, along with and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The first Forum, also hosted by InfoDev and DST, was held in Delhi in October, 2004. The 2nd Forum brought together some 300 experts and stakeholders from around the globe to exchange knowledge and ideas on how Information & Communication Technology (ICT)-led innovation and entrepreneurship can drive growth and competitiveness in developing countries Participants included technology entrepreneurs, business incubator managers, venture capitalists, policymakers and development partners from 60 countries. The Forum generated action plans and implementation strategies for regional and global networks seeking to promote ICT-enabled entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information on the Forum, please see http://www.infodev.org. What is InfoDev? InfoDev is a global partnership of international development agencies and other donors, working to maximize the impact of ICTs in development efforts, with a Secretariat at the World Bank. What is Business Incubation? InfoDev broadly defines incubation as the provision of targeted services to support ICT-enabled small enterprises. Central to the concept of business incubation is the provision of support for new businesses through the early stages of development. This involves helping them to establish and accelerate their growth and success, and then “graduating” them when they reach a certain level of maturity. What are some of the key challenges facing ICT-enabled small enterprises in developing countries? Scaling up ICT-enabled businesses (those that offer ICT services or in some way utilize ICTs as a fundamental aspect of their business model) is a complex challenge that is highly dependant on local circumstances and context. The obstacles that these start-ups in developing countries face include: · Limited and costly access to telecom services, particularly the Internet; · Burdensome business regulations; · An absence of basic business support services; · Lack of advice, mentoring and best practice guidance; and · Limited access to appropriate financial resources. What is the Business Incubator Initiative? In 2002, in response to the challenges faced by ICT-enabled small enterprises, and with support from the Government of Japan, infoDev launched the Business Incubator Initiative aimed at fostering ICT-enabled entrepreneurship and private sector development in developing countries. The Initiative has also received funding and support from the Governments of Finland and India as well as other donor agencies, from local governments and partners, as well as the private sector. More than US$ 25 million has been mobilized, benefiting more than 100 institutions in over 50 developing countries in all regions of the world. Also See: www.infodev.org/businessincubation Business Incubator Initiative Results to Date: The Incubator Initiative directly supports more than 60 business incubators worldwide through: Financial and technical assistance to help existing incubators improve and scale up operations; Facilitating development of new incubators; Encouraging innovative local uses of ICTs and entrepreneurship; and Establishing Global as well as Regional knowledge sharing networks.
InfoDev is using the knowledge generated by the Initiative to develop a rich body of knowledge that can guide policymakers, donors and others as they seek to support ICT-enabled entrepreneurship and innovation in developing countries. Recent studies include: Financing Technology Entrepreneurs Assessment of International Best Practice for the Establishment of Sustainable IT Parks – including country studies from Russia, Jordan and Vietnam Country-level Competitive Assessments – from the Caribbean, Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda. Business Incubation Toolkit for Small Island Developing States Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Assessment of the Incubator Initiative.
Beyond the 2nd Global Forum: Building on the results and the momentum from this 2nd Global Forum, InfoDev will work closely with each of the regional networks to implement their action plans and to capture the key lessons from across the regions that can be shared globally through its on-line knowledge sharing and networking platform, iDISC. infoDev will also continue to support research that provides insights into designing, implementing and operating sustainable business incubators and into the fundamental challenges facing technology entrepreneurs. Related Links: http://www.infodev.org. www.incubatorsnetwork.com |
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